Ava
by TheDarkLegate
Summary: There's something not quite right with the new girl. One-shot.
The day after Gladys left was the day the Girl arrived. Tall, pale, with straight black hair and a shoddy yellow dress. She came by train, as they always do, and without so much as a hello to her new neighbors let herself into the newly vacated house. Word spread fast in a town as small as Vines, and within a day the Girl was the subject of nearly every conversation around town. The animals would stand, huddled together, eyes on the dimly lit house as they spoke in whispers, fearful they would be overheard despite the distance.

The Girl never left her house. At least, not that anyone else saw. Her house stood silent, empty of all furniture, but despite this her lights remained on at all hours. So shrouded in mystery was she that for half a week, no one knew her name, until at last one of the residents, Kyle, summoned the courage to read the name on the sign outside: Ava.

Of course, one day the curiosity was too great, and, as often happens with mysteries, someone decided to investigate.

"It's about time someone spoke to her," Purrl said, matter-of-fairly as she took a slow sip of coffee, "after all, she's stayed in our town but refused to give us the time of day? It's rude. Hardly befitting a lady."

Purrl was sat in the Roost, pulled up to her favorite table in the back corner of the cafe, a seat that afforded her an unobstructed view of the ocean. Around her sat the motley bunch she hesitated to call friends; the overly cheerful Nibbles to her right, air-headed Stitches to her right, and across from her, the laid-back, leather-wearing Kyle, who leaned back in his seat with a thoughtful look in his eye.

"I dunno, Purrl," Nibbles, intolerable Nibbles, started, her voice enough to give Purrl early signs of a migraine, "you sure that's okay? I mean, maybe she wants to be alone for a reason, y'know?"

Stitches nodded in agreement, before following with his own inane chatter.

"Besides, how do you know she's a lady?" He asked, "I heard from a friend that she's a dragon- who breathes fire and shape shifts!"

Purrl sighed, taking a sip of her coffee and clearing her throat.

"Stitches, you spent the better part of last year believing furniture came from trees," she reminded him, "I'm not saying we drag the girl out of her home, I'm merely suggesting we introduce ourselves. Really- I say we show some hospitality and you react as if I suggest we accost the woman."

"What? I was saying that, exactly!" Nibbles protested, "I just- hey, what do you think, Kyle?"

Kyle, who had remained silent up until that point, leaned forward and shook his head.

"I think some things are best left alone. Live and let live, eh?"

Nibbles and Stitches listened to his words in near-awe. Kyle, the king of cool in their little town, had spoken, and so highly regarded was his reputation that his words were regarded as gospel. Purrl was nowhere near that impressed.

"Boring," she scoffed, "you do realize that, don't you? I thought you liked adventure."

"I wasn't aware knocking on someone's door could be considered an adventure," Kyle shrugged, the faint trace of a smile on his lips, "don't get out much, Purrl?"

Purrl tightened the grip on her mug of coffee, the warm liquid nearly spilling out as Nibbles and Stitches giggled.

"...fine." Purrl calmly set her mug down, standing up and dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. "If you three won't accompany me, then I'll simply have to go myself."

"Oh, come on," Kyle sighed, "I was kidding, Purrl."

She clearly wasn't. Purrl ignored him, moving past the table and heading out the door, the chime of a bell sounding as the door swung open and shut. She walked along the dirt path leading from the coffee shop, paying no attention when she heard the bell chime again behind her.

"Hey- hey, wait up!"

Kyle jogged up next to her, then slowed to meet her pace.

"What do you want?" She asked coldly, "I thought some things were best left alone. Myself included."

"Aw, c'mon. I was just kiddin' around," Kyle protested, "I'll come with you. We can meet this Ava together, eh?"

"I'm meeting Ava myself," she corrected, "if you'd like to stand around awkwardly nearby as I do so, so be it."

Purrl sped forward, darting past a row of trees and several houses. Kyle kept up the pace behind her, but said no more. The two were close friends, like siblings, even, but you wouldn't guess it from the way they sometimes interacted.

Eventually, the two found it. The house. It looked as it always did- no furniture inside, no movement- just the light that shone through the windows, cutting through the gentle evening sky.

Purrl took a deep breath, taking a moment to compose herself, before marching up to the door and raising her paw in the air, ready to knock- only to hesitate. She bit her lower lip, looking back at Kyle, who gave an encouraging nod toward the door. She nodded back, feeling a bit silly about the whole thing, before gently rapping the door. No response. Purrl frowned, knocking a bit louder.

"Hello? Ava, is it?" She called, "We haven't heard from you since you moved in! My friend and I were wondering if you were alright!"

The silence that greeted her was nearly deafening. She knocked again, almost banging now, as if the lack of response had made her indignant.

"Hello? I said hello-"

The door slowly creaked open, and Purrl froze in shock. No one stood in the doorway to open it, and she hadn't turned the handle. Had it been unlocked already? Curious, she gently pushed it further, only for Kyle to put a firm hand on her shoulder.

"No one's home, Purrl," he told her, "let's go back to the coffee shop."

"I want to see inside," she said, brushing him off, "what's the harm? She left the door unlocked, anyway."

"Purrl, come on!" Kyle protested, "I have a bad feeling about..."

Purrl simply ignored him, poking her head inside.

"...I see something."

With that, she disappeared inside the house. Kyle gritted his teeth, now worrying internally.

"Purrl? Purrl!" When she didn't respond, he had no other choice but to follow her inside. "Why didn't you answer me?" He asked, stepping in next to her, "I was worried about... Purrl?"

Purrl stood, transfixed, her eyes locked on to the sole object that adorned the otherwise vacant house; a gyroid. One of the many clay dolls that could be found after a rainy day. But something wasn't right about this one. It was tall, slender, mostly white but for a red top and black streaks below its eyes. It resembled something Kyle couldn't quite put his finger on.

"That gyroid," he murmured, "it looks... it reminds me of..."

"Gladys," Purrl whispered.

The two stared, and the gyroid stared back with its empty, lifeless eyes.

"Kyle..." Purrl began, a note of panic in her voice, "Kyle, I think we need to leave."

Kyle nodded, slowly backing away.

"That's a good idea," he nodded, his eyes never leaving the gyroid, "that's a good..."

The lights went out, and Purrl screamed. Kyle fumbled around blindly as he heard the door slam shut, cutting them off from the only source of light that had mercifully shone from the outside. Kyle could barely hear the footsteps over the sound of his own heartbeat, groping frantically for the door handle. The footsteps drew closer, and closer, as Purrl clung to him like an infant, whimpering hopelessly. Closer and closer, each step deliberate. Whoever was with the two began to hum, a slow, haunting tune as Kyle felt himself began to sweat.

"Please," he begged, though he wasn't sure to who, "please, please, please..."

At last, his paw finally landed on the doorknob. He yanked the door open almost hard enough to pull it off its hinges, rushing outside into the sweet, welcoming night air, dragging a now hysterical Purrl out with him. He ran, and he kept running, daring to look back only once. There, in the doorway, Ava watched him, her yellow dress fluttering slightly in the breeze. The two met eyes, and a sly smile crossed the girls lips, the sort one wears after divulging a secret to a friend. Kyle did not look back after that. Not even when he collapsed outside his house, panting, Purrl still clung to his arm, refusing to let go. So he sat there, awkwardly reaching an arm around her in an attempt to comfort her.

They never spoke to anyone, even each other, about what they saw that night; and the next day, a for sale sign appeared outside the girl's house. The villagers were puzzled as to why she would want to leave such a beautiful little town so quickly- and without even meeting anyone there. When Kyle heard talks like this, he simply shrugged, and said it was probably for the better. Kyle never heard from the girl again, and neither did Purrl. But for a long time after, when they slept, the two heard her humming in their dreams.

And when the girl left, she left by train.

They always do.

(A/N: well, my first animal crossing story! Short, I know, but while planning something a bit bigger I got the idea for this, and decided to give it a go. I hope you enjoyed this despite the length- I might do something similar to this in the future, or maybe something completely different. Let me know what you thought!)


End file.
